CultivatED

CultivatED - Discover, Design and Develop sustainable agrifood system
The Youth Education programme, in collaboration with the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Roma Tre, has developed a schools education project that integrates into the Pathway for Transversal Competencies and Orientation (PCTO) framework for Italian schools. The PCTO is an extracurricular experience, designed to balance three dimensions: learning, experience and orientation. It offers students a structured and recognized learning experience focused on sustainable agrifood systems.
Combining theoretical and practical learning, the project helps students develop transversal skills while engaging with experts from the agrifood sector and the United Nations system. As a pilot project in Italy, it aims to establish a model for integrating agrifood systems education into school curricula, with the goal of scaling it globally.
The focus extends beyond Italy, using this opportunity to test and refine the approach for replication in other countries. The lessons learned from this pilot will inform future global efforts to empower youth in agrifood systems, ensuring that the model is adaptable and impactful across diverse educational and cultural contexts.
The project is structured around three pillars:
Discover pillar
Students explore key concepts in sustainable agrifood systems and soft skills development, through online sessions, self-study and expert insights.
Design pillar
Participants engage in hands-on learning at the WFF flagship event in October, applying their knowledge to real-world challenges, attending the School Assembly.
Each year the during the WFF flagship event, the School Assembly gathers young students from around Rome and Italy to FAO headquarters, alongside many more from across the world joining online. The School Assembly is one of the largest events during the WFF flagship event and aims to foster dialogue between international leaders, youth activists and students on agrifood systems transformation.
Each year, during the School Assembly students discover the thematic areas of the WFF in an interactive and engaging way. Watch the past editions:
Develop pillar
Students implement activities, gaining practical experience and guidance to pursue careers or academic paths in agrifood systems-related fields.
Timeline
April - May 2025
Recruitment
Outreach to schools, application process.
6 June 2025
Application results
Selection of schools.
9 – 13 June 2025
Orientation meeting session for schools' tutors
13 June 2025
Confirmation of participation into the project
July – August 2025
Preparation for launch of the project
Coordination with schools’ tutors to refine the details before the launch.
Beginning
22 September 2025
Discover Pillar
Online sessions covering technical and soft skills, and self-reading materials.
13-17 October 2025
Design Pillar
In-person participation at the WFF flagship event.
November –
December 2025
Develop Pillar
Project implementation and career orientation session.
For more information, please consider the following brochure.